Grow
by StonedVolus
Summary: Ruby Rose is faced with her growing responsibilities as leader of team RWBY, as they are tasked with a mission that seems difficult, but soon becomes impossible. Sligthly dark. This is my first fan fiction, any critiquing welcome.
1. Prologue

**Grow**

**Prologue**

Crescent blood dripped off of a leaf, landing in the cushion of dirt below. The splashes of red formed a jumbled line, zigzagging through the forest. Only light of the moon kept the trees separate from the endless night. It was still difficult to see the many scattered rocks, a handful of them coated in larger splashes of blood than the rest of the ground.

"How much farther?" Yang gasped. She let her back bang against a tree as she sat down. It was the closest thing to comfort for miles.

"I don't know," said Ruby. She had her back to Yang, with her red cloak tattered and flapping in what little wind there was.

Weiss and Blake lagged behind. Blake had to rely on Weiss for support while she limped. A long red cloth dragged behind Blake's heel, reaching up to a knot on her thigh. The knot was slipping, letting blood drip from her leg.

"We have to stop," said Weiss, noticing the trail of blood after looking behind.

"Yeah," said Ruby, still facing away from her team. "Yeah, okay." She knelt down, pulling up a heavily damaged backpack that rattled with supplies. Weiss and Blake got down too, up against another tree just out of arm's reach from Yang.

"You two holding up?" asked Yang.

Weiss adjusted the makeshift bandage on Blake before she answered, "We're surviving."

"Barely," winced Blake.

Weiss shot her a quick look before standing back up to keep watch. It was impossible to make out any shadows in the darkness. Grimm made natural night time hunters with their ash fur. They only stood out at night when their fiery orange eyes could be seen, and by then it was usually too late.

"Ruby?" Blake asked.

Ruby finally turned to face her team. Her silver eyes had a dullness to them, a tiredness. She hadn't slept for days. It was a wonder any of them were still standing. She cleared her throat, "Yeah?"

"You're doing a good job. Really." Blake clearly felt bad about her remark.

The two exchanged nods. Ruby turned her back again, keeping a eye out. _Nothing's gonna sneak up on us, _she thought. _So long as I remain alert, we'll be fine. I hope we'll be fine._

"You're not," said a voice on Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby jumped at the sudden voice of a conscience, but it was just Weiss, who quickly put a palm to the young leader's mouth.

Weiss whispered, "Quiet!" Ruby could see the other trace of her first aid skills; another torn piece of her cloak was used as a bandage on Weiss's forehead. It looked like a bandana, with a dark spot to the side where a gash would be.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" asked Ruby once her mouth was uncovered.

"What?" asked Weiss.

"Never mind, what are you talking about?"

"You're. . ." Weiss sighed. It was easy to tell when she had to rethink her manners. "You could be doing a bit better here."

Ruby sat down on a stone, and Weiss joined her on the grass. Their slight difference in height kept them both at eye level. "You think you could be doing a better job?"

"No, it's just that-"

They paused as they heard a rustle up ahead. Both of them made a grab for their weapon, but they quickly remembered where the weapons were; back in their bedroom, locked up some few dozen miles away.

They couldn't see anything, and the sound didn't repeat itself. It might have just been a squirrel. After a minute, Weiss continued; "It's just that, as second in command, I want to help the team as much as you do."

"Wait," Ruby raised a brow. "You're second in command?"

"Well, I am the W in our team name. Why would they make the second letter not second in command?"

"Because the letters form a word? RWBY? Like my name?"

"You can make other words."

"Like?"

Weiss bit her lower lip, "How about. . . BYR? Like beer?"

"What about the W?"

"The W is silent. Which would make me the stealth expert in the group."

"You're just trying to have an important role, aren't you?"

Weiss paused, "Yes. But still, I wanna give you some advice."

Ruby nodded, "Okay, shoot."

"Put Blake in the middle."

"Of our name?"

"No, of our formation. With her limp, she's the most vulnerable at the moment. We should keep her safe in the centre of the group so that she doesn't lag behind in the back or be more likely to get attacked first."

"Okay, uh. . ." Ruby thought for a moment. "I'll stay out front, you take the back, and Yang helps Blake in the middle. I figure it's her turn anyway. Any other tips?"

"Well, don't die."

Ruby shrugged, as if to say 'that's it?'

Weiss shrugged back before standing back up and keeping watch on the other side of the clearing.

Ruby called out, "Yang?"

Yang got back up on her feet and walked over to her kid sister. "Yep?"

Ruby looked up to Yang, seeing her right forearm still wrapped up in the last makeshift bandage of the group. The leader stood back up, but it did little to stop her from having to look up at Yang since she was the tallest. No matter how much older Ruby got, Yang was always the big sister. A part of her would miss when the growth spurges stop and they meet at the same height.

Ruby tilted her head in Blake's direction, "You're in the middle with Blake. Gonna try and keep you both safe."

"Are you implying I need to be kept safe?"

Ruby looked back down at Yang's injured arm. Even with the bandaging, Ruby knew it was a nasty one. "No, it's just that Blake-"

"Hey, don't sweat it. I'll stay out of harm's way, Ruby."

Ruby smiled. "We'll head out in a sec. I just hope we can make it."

"We will," said Yang as she rested a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

A second after, however, and Yang lifted her hand, turning towards the tree line up ahead. Ruby was about to ask what was wrong, but then she heard it too; growling, somewhere in the darkness. Ruby looked round and saw that Weiss and Blake both noticed the noise as well. The Grimm had arrived.

_Maybe they'll just pass by, _thought Ruby. The team didn't exactly blend into the forest, but it was still night time. Maybe Grimm had just as bad night vision as they did.

After a few seconds of continued growling, they heard footsteps on the other side of them, followed by more growls beating their ear drums.

Ruby gave Yang a quick look, and she nodded. Slowly moving into the centre, Yang signalled for Blake to come over. Blake shook her head, not wanting to risk it.

Ruby turned to face the darkness ahead again, and froze her stare once she saw them; two eyes, glowing faintly in the shadows. It was hard to tell, but she felt the beast stare right at her. It was as if instead of pupils the Grimm had a fire in their eyes that blazed in place of dilating. There was no point in hiding any more. She gulped.

_How did I let this get so screwed up?_


	2. Chapter 1: Got Milk?

**Chapter 1:**

**Got Milk?**

Weiss sat gobsmacked as she watched Ruby gobble up her lunch like a dog. Between every mouthful, crumbs fall on her blazer.

They sat in the dining hall at Beacon academy with the rest of their team. Between all the chatter of students and slurping of foods, there was an atmosphere of unease as the end of term began to draw near. Many had their textbooks with them as they ate, even Ruby who was going through her third time reading _'Aura & You: The Huntsman and Huntress' Guide to Semblance Training.'_

Yang sat next to Ruby, although she was sweating a little as she had the misfortune of sitting in the way of the sunlight as it blasted through the tall windows. It was a good thing some of the windows were open, otherwise the humidity would be too much to bear.

Ruby stopped midway through a hot dog when she noticed Weiss staring. She made a noise, which Weiss guessed was supposed to be "What?"

"You're a monster," said Weiss.

Yang gulped down some mineral water, "I didn't know you were a vegetarian."

"No, it's not that. It's just your sister's. . . etiquette."

Ruby somehow fit the rest of the hot dog in her mouth before chewing, leaving a little more room to get her words out; "Well, me and Yang weren't exactly taught how to tell the difference between a pea fork and a. . . not pea fork."

"It is kind of gross," said Blake from behind her copy of _'Huntsman Expeditions and Missions Diaries; Vale Edition.'_

"You can't even see me," said Ruby.

"I can hear you. You chew with your mouth open."

"I like chewing with my mouth open. It makes the juicy music."

Yang chuckled, "Juicy music?"

"Yeah," said Ruby. "You remember? We'd do contests to see who could be the loudest."

"A few years ago, maybe."

Ruby was a little confused but before she could respond, a can of fizzy orange came flying over her shoulder, knocking over her carton of milk. Almost immediately, Pyrrha came running over from one of the other tables with a paper towel.

"I am so sorry," she said, mopping up the mixture of white and orange. "I was just showing Ren how my magnetic semblance worked when Nora gave me a surprise."

"It's a saxophone!" Nora could be heard yelling, followed by a few notes from the instrument.

"I have no idea how her mind works," said Weiss.

"Wait here," said Pyrrha. "I'll grab some more paper towels and get you another drink." She sped off, leaving what looked like a finger painting of white and orange that didn't blend well on the table.

Ruby stayed still, looking around at her team. She coughed to break the silence, "So. . . what do you guys think the end of term test is going to be?"

"No idea," said Blake. "Wouldn't be much a test if we did."

"I talked to a few of the senior students about it," said Yang. "They didn't say much, just that it was practical and different for each team."

"What kind of test changes for each group of students?" asked Weiss.

"Apparently the kind that's tailor-made for each. Like there was this one group barely talked, so their test involved communication."

"How did that go?" asked Ruby.

Yang paused, "They didn't pass."

Ruby gulped down what little morsels remained in her mouth.

"But hey, that means it's not necessary to pass. Probably just an extra tick on the report card or something."

In the midst of their increasing worry, they jumped at the sound of an unexpected thud on the table. Pyrrha had came back and set the carton of milk in front of Ruby, and continued to wipe up the spillage from earlier.

"Thanks," said Ruby as she examined the expiration date on the carton. It wasn't out of paranoia so much as it was out of curiosity. It was a week from then, the seventeenth of the month.

Weiss cleared her throat, twice.

"Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asked.

"You just seem troubled," said Weiss. "Is it the test?"

"Not at all. Well, sort of. It's more Jaune than anything."

Blake set her book down, "Why? Is that one guy bullying him again?"

"No, it's. . ." Pyrrha stopped wiping as she sighed and thought for a moment. "I'm just not sure how well he'll do. I've been helping him out a bit but it might not be enough. He's still new to leadership, he might make a mistake or become distracted. What do you think, Ruby?"

Ruby paused her second time reading the nutritious value of milk when she heard her name, "Huh?"

"She's wondering what you think of the test." said Yang. She stuck a toothpick between her teeth as she finished eating.

"I think we'll survive." Ruby began to gulp down her drink, _as for how we'll do-_

A loud 'PING' echoed through the mess hall, causing almost every student to stop mid-conversation or mid-chew. The speakers on the walls vibrated through the buzz of a microphone. The recognisable sharpness of Glynda Goodwitch echoed, "Will all first year team leaders please report to Headmaster Ozpin's office for their end term assignments. All other students shall continue with their class schedule."

Ruby felt the milk she just swallowed try to worm its way back up her throat, almost making her throw up.

"You okay?" asked Yang.

"I'm fine," said Ruby. "I better get going."

"Sis?"

Ruby had stood up when she noticed her older sister tugging on her sleeve. "Yeah?"

"You're going to do great."

The sisters smiled at each other and Ruby gave her team a curt nod for goodbye. Her and the other leaders shepherded themselves out of the hall, leaving the rest behind.

Weiss scratched her chin, "Why do they just want the leaders?"

"Who knows," said Blake, back into her book.

Weiss glanced over to Yang. The comforting smile she gave Ruby earlier turned into a frown with worry.


	3. Chapter 2: Tick

**Chapter 2:**

**Tick**

Up ahead, Ruby could see Miss Goodwitch standing guard outside the door to the headmaster's office. The hallway leading to it felt longer and thinner as the amount of branching paths and doorways shrank. Once the students were close enough, she pulled out her scroll and quickly glanced at its screen.

"You will be going up one at a time," she said to the leaders. "Once Ozpin has given you your test, you will return to class and may discuss it with your teammates afterwards. Please," Glynda raised her riding crop to a set of benches that were laid out.

Ruby took a seat and naturally Jaune slouched next to her. They weren't on the same team, but had been good friends ever since they came to Beacon. As was expected, it was clear that he was far more nervous than she was.

"You okay?" asked Ruby.

Jaune sat up straight, like a new recruit given an order from a general. It took him a second to realise it was just Ruby that asked him. "I-I'm fine."

Ruby raised a brow, "Really?"

"No."

Goodwitch cleared her throat, "Miss Coco, you're up first."

Jaune snickered but tried his best to cover it up with a fake cough. He whispered to Ruby, "Coco?"

One of the other students stood up. If it wasn't for the school uniform, she'd have looked like she just stepped off of the catwalk at a fashion show. She wore a beret with a pair of shades resting on top of it, and her hair was a flowing gradient going from chocolate brown to a cherry red at a single tip at the side.

Goodwitch quickly glanced at her scroll again, "The elevator will take you straight-"

The doors beside her shut as Coco already went through.

"Up." Glynda's usual straight face curled into a disapproving frown. She quickly shook it off as she put her scroll away.

"So that's Coco?" asked Ruby to Jaune.

"Guess so," said Jaune. "So is she supposed to be a cereal mascot like Pyrrha?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, with a name like that? What comes to mind when you hear the word coco?"

"Coffee?"

Jaune clearly wasn't prepared for that answer, and kept quiet.

A few minutes passed, or at least it felt like it as Ruby kicked her feet together out of boredom. "Jaune?"

"Huh?"

"Can I ask you something personal?"

Jaune sighed and leaned in closer to Ruby. "Afraid you were going to ask this. Ruby, you're a great friend. I mean, you're one of the few people here that I can call a friend without hesitation. But it's going to be weird, at least for me. And not just because I think of you as just a friend."

Ruby pulled away. "What?" she asked flatly.

"That. . . wasn't the topic you were going with."

"No!" Ruby caught her tongue before she got any louder. She looked over at Ms Goodwitch, who was watching. Before Ruby could explain to her, the teacher simply rolled her eyes and looked away, drifting in thought.

Back to whispering, Ruby turned back to Jaune. "I was just wondering, don't you think you should be more mature?"

Jaune shrugged, "Why should I?"

"I mean, you're two years older than me. Shouldn't you be at the point where you start your way into adulthood?"

"What's the point of growing up? Yeah, I'm almost an adult, but that's kinda the point. I've only got a handful of teenage years in me. First it's all toys and cartoons, then it's hobbies and dating, and suddenly. . . boom. You're grown up. You gotta start paying the bills, sort out your mortgage, do taxes on time, vote for who gets your taxes. You might think you're finally free of parents or teachers bossing you around, but soon you'll just find more people bossing you around. I'm jealous of you, Ruby. Childhood might just be the best part of our lives."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," said Ruby.

"What brought this up?" asked Jaune.

Ruby sighed, "I dunno, it just-"

Ruby stopped herself when she heard the sound of the elevator doors slide apart. Out came Coco, with a folder tucked under her arm. It was hard to gauge what she was feeling behind those glasses, but something about her walk wasn't quite as brisk as before and that was enough for her catwalk flair to disappear.

"Head straight to class," said Glynda to Coco. "If you please."

Coco seemed to slow down for a bit as she listened the orders. Even Goodwitch seemed surprised to get her order out before the student left.

Glynda looked at her scroll, "Next up is Miss Rose."

Ruby took a deep breath and got on her feet. She felt everyone's gaze follow her to the elevator doors, like a spider on the back of her neck. Even after the doors closed and the glass case began its ascent, the feeling ebbed into nerves prickling down her spine.

A single button was lit up on the display beside the door, showing the floor where Ozpin waited, probably sipping his cup of tea. It was hard to resist the urge to press all the buttons, whether they be the other floors or the emergency stop.

With a ping, the lift began its deceleration until it halted at the highest point of Beacon Academy. The doors swung open, revealing a distant desk and chair, with Ozpin making a call on his computer. He didn't seem to notice Ruby enter, leaving her time to wonder at her surroundings.

The floor, the ceiling and sections of the wall were all windows to a massive network of cogs. The clicking, the meshing of gears together was a distinct sound. It gave a claustrophobic feeling, despite how large the room was. It felt like being trapped inside a grandfather clock, with the only company being the constant tick tock. Ruby was so on edge that she kept blinking every other beat as the sound continued.

"I hope you made the necessary arrangements," said Ozpin from the other side of the room. All Ruby could see was his grey hair poking out from behind the back of the chair. As nervous as she was, curiosity drove her to step closer and listen.

"Yes," Ozpin continued. "Of course. . . Their success rate has been high. Not to worry, I'll hold up my end of the bargain. I'll talk to you later, don't worry."

The glow of his computer faded away, and Ozpin spun round in his chair to face Ruby. As expected, there was a mug of tea in his hands. A sly smile grew on him, as a frown grew on hers.

Ozpin shrugged, "Sorry about that, I lost a bet with the headmaster of another academy. I haven't even welcomed you into my office yet."

"It's very. . ." Ruby searched for the right words as the clockwork continued its chant. "It's very meditative."

Ozpin set his tea on his desk and gestured to a chair on the other side of it. Ruby sat on it before pulling it in closer due to her size. Once she was up close, she could see that even the desk had cogs in it, endlessly turning away. _How does Professor Ozpin sleep? And where?_

Ruby twiddled her thumbs, "So. . . this is about the test?"

"Correct," said Ozpin. "The rumours always start from somewhere. So what have you heard?"

"Just that it's no big deal."

Ozpin tilted his head forward.

"And that it's probably going to be the death of me."

The professor chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Rumours also have the tendency to become exaggerated as they spread. I'll be honest with you, Ruby. These tests are dangerous, maybe even fatal, but we will do our very best to ensure you and your team's safety. What kind of school would we be if we didn't?"

"So what is it?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin lifted his mug pushed over a folder Ruby hadn't noticed before. The blue folder was embedded with 'RWBY' on the cover, and a brown circular stain marked the R.

"You'll find that the contents of this will tell you all you need to know," said Ozpin. "But I was hoping to have a word with you after you read it."

Ruby was confused. Why not just put what he had to say in the folder? Regardless, she unravelled the thread that held the folder together. There weren't many pages and what was there was very bare bones, with photos and maps taking up most of the space. The first map had Beacon Academy in a bottom corner, with a line of red dashes working its way from the centre to an X at the top. It covered dozens of kilometres, most of it forest or hills. To the sides were black scribbles labelled 'danger zones', probably breeding grounds for Grimm.

Another picture was of a flag on the edge of a cliff overlooking endless trees. Although the photo was small, a dot that represented Beacon could be seen on the horizon. Then there was a small wall of text titled 'End of Term Assignment: RWBY' going over the test:

_Students: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long_

_ Objective: Capture the flag_

_ Details: Team RWBY will be dropped off twenty kilometres from Beacon Academy. From there, they must navigate the forests on foot heading north-west until they reach Mount Reignall. Once there, they must make their way up the mountain and collect the flag on top, then make their way back to the clearing where they were dropped off and fire a flare for extraction. Once they have returned to Beacon with the flag intact, they will pass._

_ One mission handler will bring the students to the drop off and stay on stand point should the situation require it. Assigned mission handler: Professor Bartholomew Oobleck_

Ruby smiled, quite relieved. Oobleck's chatter could be tiring but that was just a minor inconvenience. "That actually doesn't sound so bad."

Ozpin shook his head, leaving her confused. He twirled his finger around, like he was stirring a fresh drink.

Ruby turned the page around and gulped:

_ Forbidden equipment: Any weaponry or armour used by the students must be left behind at the academy. Their scrolls must be left behind as well, along with any electronic equipment unless required for medical conditions (see mission handler to arrange this). They are permitted only the following items;_

_ One survival knife_

_ Two flare guns with three flares each; red for extraction, white for team regrouping, yellow for emergency_

_ Four backpacks that will be provided by the Academy, any unauthorised baggage will be inspected and/or confiscated until return._

_ The backpacks will each contain; one sleeping bag, one small box of matches, one first aid kit (along with other emergency medical tools and treatments as deemed necessary by the mission handler), one cooking pot, one pair of binoculars, two cans of prepared food, and one canteen of water_

_ Items of sentimental or personal values (i.e. good luck charms, pendants) may be brought along if approved by mission handler_

_ Any unapproved items found will result in immediate penalisation and will affect your final assessment._

_ The route shown in diagram A is surrounded on all sides by Grimm breeding grounds. Extreme caution must be used. The best course of action in case of danger will be handled by the team leader, unless other team members are separated. If the team remains separated for too long, use of the yellow flare is recommended._

_ Estimated mission completion time: Three to four days._

_ This mission has been approved by the headmaster of Beacon Academy: Ozpin. Any concerns from students, parents or guardians MUST be discussed with him before the mission begins._

Ruby wanted to puke. Three days surrounded by Grimm while her precious Crescent Rose sits several miles away? While everyone's weapons are gone?

She had many questions but she could only muster asking one; "What?"

"I suspected such a reaction," said Ozpin. "Make no mistake, this will be difficult."

Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing through closed off nostrils. "How are we supposed to do this? We won't survive two days without our weapons!"

"I recognise that this seems daunting. I'd have concerns if you didn't have any fears over this. But these test are tailored for each team. You wouldn't be doing this if me and the rest of the teachers thought you four were incapable of completing it."

"When we met, you offered me scholarship into Beacon, even though I'm two years younger than the average- scratch that, all first year students. Why? Because I knew how to use a scythe. Without my weapon, I'm nothing."

Ozpin took a long sip of tea until he slurped up the remaining drops. "Incorrect," he said. "I didn't let you into Beacon because you knew how to use a scythe. I didn't do it because I happen to know your uncle. I did it because I saw in you what I see in every other student I let into this academy. Do you know what that is?"

Ruby shrugged.

"Wasted potential."

"You said that on our first day," Ruby recalled. "It was a little. . . insulting."

"I didn't mean it as such. I meant it more as a wake-up call. You see, if every huntress or huntsman got their job because they knew how to wield a weapon, then there would be no need for this place. What's the point of teaching if there's nothing to learn? But you do have something to learn, Ruby. You're still young. The youngest student, like you said."

"So what do I have to learn?"

"That's up to you to discover. Of all the rumours you heard, did you ever hear what this test is called?"

"No, just 'the test'."

"Well, that is essentially all it is. But I like to call it the Crucible. You're scared right now, and you have every right to be. But there will be nothing more terrifying than when you are pushed to your limits, and you find yourself with no plan, no resources. Your darkest day, your blackest hour. Every huntress, even before Beacon existed, has been through such crucibles. But the simple souls that enter those crucibles come out as steel, stronger and brighter."

Ruby looked down at the photo one more time. The distant academy on the horizon, highlighted by the setting sun. "Can I?" she asked.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"I'll be the youngest person here to enter a crucible. Am I ready?"

"The crucible will make you ready. And besides, you aren't the youngest to have gone through a crucible."

Ruby was curious as to what he meant by that, but the look of reflection in Ozpin's face as he watched his cogs dance said enough.

It took a few seconds for Ozpin to grow a smile, "Now go on back to class. I've kept you long enough as it is. Any longer, the other students will start to suspect I have favourites."

Ruby nodded and closed the folder. She made her way back to the elevator, a little bit more confident than when she entered. "Professor Ozpin," she said as she entered the lift. "Do you have any-"

The elevator doors slammed shut, interrupting her as she descended. "Favourites."


	4. Chapter 3: Tock

_Before this chapter begins, there are a few things that I have to say regarding the recent news of Monty Oum's passing. If you'd rather not read through what I have to say that is fine, the chapter is below as promised, but this something I have to say._

_As you might have heard, Monty Oum, the creator of RWBY, passed away on February 1st, 2015. I can not remember him as a friend, nor can I say that I knew him well. But what I do know about him speaks volumes. He was dedicated, passionate, thoughtful, endearing. Who among us can say with confidence that we gave it a hundred percent? Who can say that they got their voice heard, their stories told, to millions around the world? Monty Oum was one such person who did so. Watching behind the scenes of RWBY and Red vs Blue gave you an idea of just how much effort he put into what he loves. Animation is no joke, it is hard, tremendous work that many have dabbled into but never mastered. Trust me, I have tried. And I can say without a doubt that Monty was one who mastered his craft. The fact that you are here right now, reading these exact words among the stories we made out of the love for what he did show what an impact he had. And this is just one corner. If you look, you can find other corners where he made people's lives better. Not just the lives of fans, but the lives of those dear to him, his friends and colleagues. You can find the day when all our minds were blown as he introduced his animation to Red vs Blue. _

_Although he passed away far too young at the age of 33, he has left a legacy behind. He became an inspiration to hundreds, thousands even. Through the fields of animation and creativity, Monty Oum will be remembered as one of the most down to Earth, charismatic and enthusiastic individuals to walk them. And although our hearts have grown heavier, we will remember. From now on, this story is dedicated in memory of Monty, and the lasting impact he has made and will continue to do so through his work. If you're reading this and haven't already, raise a glass, take a moment of silence, do whatever you do to remember someone that is the main reason you are here, reading these stories, listening to those tunes, watching those characters. For now it's time to say goodbye. _

_"Can you match my resolve? If so then you will succeed" - Monty Oum _

**Chapter 3:**

**Tock**

There was something that sunk dread into the hearts of some students. It might come up in other academies or schools, but nowhere near the severity of the horror at Beacon. It was something – or rather, someone – that could always be seen coming with nothing to do about it. All the new students come in expecting everything to be fine, despite all the warnings from the seniors. And afterwards, it left some students minds in a twisted, lost state. The ones that liked to take notes, pay attention and do well.

In fact, it's caused some people to be on the brink of failure of some classes. While everyone survived, his sharp tongue was something that would ring in every ear at Beacon Academy.

His name was Bartholomew Oobleck. "Okay class," he bellowed, right before taking his first cup of coffee for the afternoon. "Today we're going to be going over semblance theory."

Yang, Weiss and Blake had the pleasure of taking his class that afternoon. They had their pens at the ready, prepared to take down notes as fast as he'd talk. Or at least try to.

Oobleck took another sip, and kept doing so for every slight pause between sentences. "Semblance has been around since the start of recorded history, as far back as the discovery of dust. The relation between dust and semblance has been a relatively recent discovery. For example, userswithcertainsemblancescanusedusttomanipulatetheirproperties, such as, such as this one fellow I knew who could change the fragrance of his shadows. In hindsight, it wasn't very useful, but I remember black being a particularly sweet smell. Now, whoherehassuchasemblance?"

Blake reluctantly raised her hand, thinking she understood what he said.

"Ah yes, miss Belladonna. How does your semblance smell when altered by dust?"

Her eyes turned white briefly, "They don't- that is I haven't used dust with my semblance."

"I have," said Weiss. "But they don't change the smell."

"Of course," said Oobleck. "I probably should have mentioned that smell's not the only way dust can affect someone's semblance. Miss Schnee, would you mind giving a demonstration."

Taking a deep breath, Weiss made her way down to the front of the class. The room was a sort of amphitheatre designed, leaving the teacher looking up to all their students. It made for good acoustics when a teacher had to give a lecture, but Weiss felt a certain nervousness walking down into the eyesight of her classmates. It wasn't anything overwhelming. It was just a tiny feeling of butterflies, like going on stage again.

"Break a leg," whispered Yang as Weiss passed by.

Oobleck sped over to his desk, grabbed his Thermos and refilled his cup in mere seconds as Weiss reached the bottom of the steps.

"Now then," Oobleck asked, "would you mind demonstrating your natural semblance for us?"

Weiss squinted ever so slightly as she raised her palm over the air. A white blur seemed to expand from nowhere, just an inch from Weiss' face. As quickly as it appeared, the blur grew to be almost twice as tall as its owner, taking the unique shape of a snowflake.

"Glyphs, most interesting. Now Weiss, what method do you use to alter it?"

Weiss drew her rapier, making sure to let the class see the multi-colored slits near the hilt. "This is Myrtenaster, my weapon. It's filled with dust cartridges, and I can easily switch between them."

"Ah, multi-action dust chambers based on revolvers," said Oobleck as he got a little too close to the blade. "Classic design, classic. So tell me, how does black dust affect your semblance?"

Weiss carefully nudged Ooobleck out of the way as she took aim at her glyph, still floating. "I suppose it's like a vacuum, I can use it to draw things closer or hold them in place."

With a simple swipe of her thumb, the rapier's chamber rotated to the black cartridge and shot the snowflake. With the rapier design, it looked more like she was injecting the glyph with a needle full of ink as darkness swallowed it whole.

A few pages from Oobleck's desk began to shift, then the ones the students were using. The class grabbed hold of their work before it could all jumble together into a mess.

Oobleck drank from his cup again, or at least tried to before he realised he reached the last drop of coffee. "I think that's-"

A bang swung the classroom doors open, like a bull had just broken through. What did burst through though was a red streak, heading straight for Weiss' glyph. The whole class gasped and a few stood up in shock. It became stuck, trying to escape the vacuum's grasp, until giving up and decelerating.

As it became clearer, Weiss realised it was Ruby, caught like a fly. Even after slowing down, Ruby still flayed her arms about, like she was trying to swim away through the air.

The gasps had given way to giggles from the students. Oobleck simply tutted and moved just as quickly as Ruby did over to the doors and closed them. "Ruby Rose, are you eager to show your semblance as well or did you just rush over here for the sake of embarrassment?"

"Would you excuse me if I said neither?" asked Ruby as she began to rotate with the glyph. Since she couldn't move, she could do nothing but be face to face with Weiss, frowning with her usual icy stare.

Oobleck set his cup down atop the pile of papers picked up from the floor. "In conclusion, semblances are a key part of who we are as people, even more so as huntsmen and huntresses. Class dismissed, no assignments to worry about."

With much relief, the students packed up for the last time of the day. With the tests on, many teachers didn't feel the need to give out homework, which was fine by everyone. Ruby finished copying her team's notes and stood up to leave.

"Wait," Oobleck bellowed, echoing up the rows of seats. The whole class froze and looked at him. "Could Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang stay?"

The other students got up and left, leaving team RWBY behind.

"Hold on a sec," said Yang, trying her best to hide her anger. "Blake and I didn't do anything!"

Oobleck filled another cup. "What? Oh no, this has nothing to do with that mess earlier. Although I do hope Miss Rose has learned her lesson."

Ruby bit her lip, turning to her team mates. The rest of the class had already ran off. "I was gonna mention after class," said Ruby. "About the end of term test, we're assigned a handler."

"Who is-" Blake began to ask but then looked over at their teacher. "Oh."

"Oohh," said Yang.

"Ooohh," groaned Weiss.

Oobleck clapped his hands, "Right then, girls. Come down here so your leader can present you with your mission. Ruby, I'll be taking notes on your performance. Consider this a side test of your public speaking skills."

"Okay then," said Ruby. She picked up her folder and the four of them walked down to in front of the Oobleck's desk. The teacher sat on his chair and leaned back with a notebook on his lap.

Once they reached the bottom of the steps, Ruby looked around. She spotted a whiteboard easel tucked away in the corner of the room. Thinking it perfect, she pulled it over and awkwardly set it up in front of the others.

Putting the folder on the rest where the marker was, Ruby cleared her throat. "Sisters, friends, Weiss."

"Why do you always single me out?" Weiss muttered.

"Today we have been assigned an important task. This mission has come straight from the top, and is one that is vital to securing the future of our dear nation." Ruby pulled out the photo of the flag from the folder and stuck it onto the whiteboard. "We gotta grab this thingy."

Yang and even Weiss giggled while Blake smirked, but Ruby paid more attention to Oobleck using that pencil of his that always rested on his ear. She couldn't tell what kind of notes he was writing down, but maybe it was time to dial back on the comedy.

"This flag is resting on top of Mount Reignall, a little around a hundred kilometres from where we're standing now." Ruby opened the folder slightly to find the map. "We'll be starting from. . . where is it?"

A few seconds past before Ruby gracelessly dropped all the contents of the folder at their feet. "No!"

Ruby got down on her knees and scrambled to pick everything up. "I didn't mean to- where is it?"

During the clumsiness, she didn't notice Blake bend over and pick up one of the pages until the fauna was already reading it. Ruby tried to reach up and grab the paper from her, but she slipped on the map that was just under her.

"What is this?" Blake asked, surprised. "We can't bring any weapons?"

"What?!" Yang and Weiss both shouted before the latter grabbed the page. "'Any unapproved items will result in immediate penalisation'?"

Yang yanked the list over, continuing to read. "'The route is surrounded on all sides by Grimm breeding grounds'?"

"'Three to four days'," Blake finished off. The three looked down at Ruby who remained on her knees, like she was begging for forgiveness. She might as well be.

Ruby looked over at Oobleck. The only part of him that she could see was his glasses, masking whatever look of disapproval he had. _I wish I was back at Signal._

Ruby got up on her feet, salvaging what little dignity she had left. "It's true," said Ruby. "We can't bring our weapons or our scrolls with us. We're given some backpacks, some necessities, you know. And we're going to have to avoid Grimm for at least three days, maybe more. I'm sorry."

"Did you pick this mission," asked Yang. "What were you thinking?"

Ruby began to panic, "I didn't- At the bottom it says-"

"My glyphs are useless without my weapon," said Weiss. "How are we supposed to complete this mission?"

"I was- that is, I don't-"

"How are we supposed to _survive_ this mission?"

"I. . . I. . ." Ruby looked over at Oobleck, taking notes and shaking his head. _I wish I was back with uncle Qrow._

"Guys," Blake piped up. "Ruby didn't have a choice, we were assigned this test by Professor Ozpin. She didn't have a say in the matter, so we can't go blaming her for this mess."

Ruby smiled at Blake.

Yang sighed and pinched her nose, "Do we have any contact or a way to get help?"

"That's where Mister Oobleck comes in," said Ruby. "He'll be keeping an eye on us from afar. And we have flares, so we can signal for help should we need it."

"We will need it," said Weiss.

"Once we get the flag, we make the return trip and that's us finished. That's all we have to do, at least. We don't have to fight the Grimm and we have enough supplies to last us for a few days and nights. We can do this, as a team."

"I hope so," said Yang.

"How about strategies?" asked Weiss.

Ruby was taken aback, "Huh?"

"What's the best course of action? The best route? What's our plan B?"

"I. . . don't have any of that stuff yet."

The team all looked at each other, worried.

_I wish I was home, _Ruby sighed. "You can go, team dismissed."

"But Ruby," said Blake, trying to extend an olive branch.

"I said you're dismissed."

Ruby began to pick up the rest of the folder contents while the others reluctantly left. It was just her and Oobleck in the room. She looked over at her handler, who was still jotting down what was likely the harshest criticisms anyone could spit out.

"I was gonna tell them," said Ruby.

A hint of pupils popped up from behind Oobleck's glasses. Otherwise he didn't respond.

Ruby sighed and put the folder back onto the easel, accidentally scraping the edge of the flag photo and causing it to fall to the ground. She watched as it descended like a feather, back to where the rest of the mess was.

At the point that it touched her feet, Ruby punched the easel, causing it to crash on the ground.

Oobleck stood up, "Ruby Rose!"

Ruby fell to her knees once again, just staring vacantly at the mess she made.

"Ruby, that is no way to behave!"

Ruby muttered under her breath, too hard for the teacher to hear.

Oobleck knelt down beside her, coming at least a little closer to her level. "Ruby?"

She looked up at him, her eyes welling up. "I'm behaving like a child, aren't I?"

The teacher's eyebrows settled as he listened.

"I'm sorry, all right? I'm sorry I'm too young and stupid to do this. I shouldn't even be here. I was at Signal, with my uncle! At least there I could be me. Here, I'm not a huntress, I'm not a leader. I'm not even old enough to apply here yet, but I just had to go and be clever. I just had to be big. Now my sister and my friends are gonna die because of me."

Oobleck waited a moment, watching the tears fall off of Ruby's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Ruby sniffed, "What?"

"I picked the mission, not Ozpin."

Ruby stopped crying for a moment. She wasn't sure whether or not she should be angry.

Oobleck got on his feet and picked up the easel. He wasn't his usual hyper state. "The way it works is that Ozpin gives each of the teachers a team, and we select the mission based around what we feel could use improving. I thought leadership, that's usually a good place to start. But I see now that this was a mistake."

Ruby was confused, the whole day had left her in an upside-down daze. Either way, she thought she knew what the professor was getting at.

Once the easel was back where it belongs, Oobleck picked up the folder and set it on his desk. "Ozpin didn't tell me about your exception. I don't even know if he's told the rest of the staff."

"You couldn't even tell that I was too young?"

Oobleck shrugged, "I just thought you were short. Go to your teammates. Tell them they don't have to worry about the test, I'll take care of it."

Ruby didn't know what to say, her jaw was left dangling as no words came out.

"Just try not to break any other academic property."

"I won't, sir. Thank you, really."

"Go on," Oobleck gestured towards the doors Ruby burst through earlier. He took out several folders from his drawers and began reading, too pre-occupied to even notice that Ruby hadn't left yet.

Ruby dried her cheeks with her sleeves, and decided to go back to the dorms. On her first step, however, she noticed the photograph under her feet. She picked it up, looking at the distant dot of Beacon Academy, past the flag. After putting it in her pocket, Ruby left the room and closed the door. Oobleck didn't notice the sudden silence that filled the classroom.

"Why, Ozpin?" he asked aloud.


	5. Chapter 4: TSYaSaH

_Hello there. Sorry it's been so long, but here's chapter 4. If you have any critiques, complaints or if you just want to say something, feel free to leave a review._

**Chapter 4:**

**They See You as Small and Helpless**

Ruby came out of the toilet stall, right as another student left the restroom. She had the space all to herself.

She approached the row of sinks, looking at the mirror. As the noise of toilet flushing died down, Ruby stared down her reflection. Her cheeks were as red as the tips of her hair, and her eyes looked completely drained. It was like a crazy mirror at a fair, but instead of making her look like a funny fat blob, it was just a miserable husk of a girl. Maintaining eye contact with herself, she washed her hands in the basin. After a while, she couldn't help but look away, down to the far more distorted reflection on the tap.

After her hands were drenched in soapy water, she left the tap running and checked each toilet stall. There was definitely no one with Ruby.

Her hands weren't dried yet, but that didn't stop her from grabbing a small handful of toilet paper. It quickly became a wet mush in her fist, droplets coming out between her fingers. She went back to the sink and stuffed the paper into the drain, causing the water to build up. After filling the ceramic bowl, she turned the water off and turned the tap to the side.

She stared at the water, still unsettled and waving about, before looking back at the mirror. The pitiful look on her face was still there. Closing her eyes, Ruby took a deep breath, and lunged her head down into the water.

Classes were over and he didn't have anything better to do, so Ozpin did what he would often do on pleasant evenings; walk around the Academy. It was his meditation, navigating the architecture of Beacon, trying to picture it all like someone who had never seen it before.

The occasional student would pass by, offer a quick greeting, but most were in their dorms, studying or finishing assignments. At least, that's what he hoped they were doing. Everyone knows what teenagers could be like.

"Ozpin!" someone yelled from behind him. He could hear someone pacing up to him, and he was all too familiar with the person's voice.

The Headmaster turned, "Professor Oobleck, what seems to be troubling you?"

Oobleck marched straight through the hallway and up to Ozpin's face, all the while clutching a handful of paper. "What's troubling me? What's troubling you? What makes you think breaking our own rules is a good idea?"

Ozpin looked around. There wasn't anybody that could be seen, but he still guided the Professor off to the side near a bench. "What are you talking about? What rules?"

"'All applicants for scholarship at Beacon Academy, must have already completed their formal education with the necessary grades and be of an appropriate age.'"

"Ah yes, that. Not to fret, all of our students meet the necessary requirements."

Oobleck bit his lower lip and shoved the papers into Ozpin's chest. "You're lying."

Ozpin set his cup of tea down and grabbed the pages. After unravelling them from their ball, he saw that it was an application form for Beacon. The top was signed, _'Ruby Rose'._

"Ruby? I believe she is knowledgable and mature enough to-"

"Look at the date of birth," Oobleck interrupted. "She's fifteen. She didn't finish her last two semesters and she is not old enough. Why would you let her in here?"

"As I was saying, I believe she is knowledgable and mature enough to be a valuable student here."

"No," said Oobleck. It was rare to see him so serious, to hear his voice harden. "For once, you're not gonna pull that. I've followed you for a reason, to spread knowledge, to make the human race stronger. But when you're throwing all this responsibility on children, when you're putting their lives on the line? Our job as huntsmen is to protect people, and that's what I'm doing right now. Miss Rose will not go through your crucible, in fact I might see to it that she goes back to Sigil."

Ozpin held the form at arm's length, "Oobleck, you can't. My decision is final."

"Your decision? Do you even know what this is like for her?"

"She accepted my offer to join Beacon, it was her choice as well."

Oobleck yanked the form back, crumpling it up again in the process. Despite his growing anger, Ozpin's trademark cold stare remained the same.

"Ruby regrets her decision," said Oobleck. "She's fifteen. Do you think that, just because a child says they want to be a fire fighter when they grow up, we just toss them into a burning building right then? We have to let them grow first. What do her parents or guardians have to say about it? Did you make up some excuse about her being put in a special class and that she'd be looked after by her older sister? Because last time I checked, Ruby's on the front lines with everyone else. I mean, who else have you just let waltz in? Have we got toddlers receiving lessons now?

"You might think two years isn't much but we were both teenagers, Ozpin. We both know that is not the case. Not only has Ruby not fulfilled her education, putting her at a disadvantage with no help, it can also strongly affect the social circles of the Academy. Younger students would be more likely to get bullied, and don't even get me started on hormone-fuelled relationships. I mean, did you put any thought into this? Into Ruby's well-being?"

Ozpin blinked two times, bent over to pick up his mug, and took a long sip. The silence was his answer.

Oobleck shook his head, he knew Ozpin wasn't listening anymore. He spotted a couple of students that had begun to watch over the headmaster's shoulder, they certainly heard enough. "This isn't over, Ozpin. Next staff meeting, I'm going to bring this matter up. Until then, team RWBY will not do the test."

Spinning on his heel, Oobleck made his way back down the hallway. He passed by Glynda Goodwitch, who probably heard the whole commotion.

"Professor Oobleck? She asked after him, but he made no sign of stopping.

Ozpin caught Goodwitch's eyes as his cup dried up. Although she was much more subtle than the hyperactive professor, her annoyance was easy to see.

Ruby made her way back to the dorm. Most other students were in the library, outside playing or practising, all to pass the time until dinner. All she wanted to do, however, was lie down. Maybe read a book to let her escape for a while. At least she could still imagine herself as a hunter for a few more years.

She got to her team's room and went inside. Her head was hung so low that she was surprised when she looked up and saw the rest of the team waiting for her.

"Ruby!" Yang cried out before running up to her sister and giving a big bear hug.

"We're sorry about earlier," said Blake.

"I guess we overreacted a little," said Weiss, although it could have easily been that she only showed remorse because the others forced her to. "Where have you been?"

Ruby remained silent, she didn't even bother to struggle in Yang's grasp. The big sister let go, "Are you okay? Sis?"

Ruby looked up at her sister, looking deep into her concerned eyes. "I'm better than I was," she finally spoke. "I think. I talked with Professor Oobleck about the test."

"What did he say?" asked Weiss. "Is it as dangerous as it sounds?"

"We don't have to worry about that. The test is cancelled."

Ruby's teammates let out a collective "What?!"

"Well, delayed is more accurate, but I doubt we'll go through with it anytime soon."

"That's too bad," said Yang. "I was hoping you could prove us wrong."

Ruby nodded before dragging herself to one of the beds and letting herself fall on it.

Weiss cleared her throat, "Uh, that's my-"

"Why was it delayed?" asked Blake, leaving Weiss to frown. "Was it some kind of bad weather? Is Oobleck too busy?"

"It's me," said Ruby.

"Huh?"

Ruby sat up straight, "It was me, guys. I'm the reason why we can't do the test."

"I don't understand," said Yang.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm too young, I'm too inexperienced. Professor Oobleck didn't even know until I told him."

Yang sat down beside Ruby, and Blake took the other side. Their comforting hands clenched her shoulders, like a cartoonish conscience trying to get attention.

"Fine, take my whole bed, why don't you?" Weiss mumbled. After catching what she just said, she knelt in front of her leader. "Trust me, you have every right to be here with us. And coming from a stuck-up brat like me, that's saying a lot."

"Please don't talk down to me like that," Ruby whispered.

"I'm sorry?"

Ruby burst out, "Don't talk to me like that!"

It was enough to make the others stand up.

"Don't you get it? Every pat on the back, every time I hear 'Oh, what's an innocent girl like you doing with a scythe', it's just another sign that I'm still too young. Every school always has that one kid. The one that needs help, the one that's 'special'. That's me, I'm the kid of Beacon. Everybody's treating me that way, and they're right. I'm not a huntress."

Ruby took a deep breath as she stared at Yang, and she looked back. Their eyes jittered, like the two sisters were having a silent conversation, leaving Blake and Weiss to only guess what they could be thinking about.

After a while, Weiss let her attention drift to the sound of scuttering feet in the hallway. Probably Jaune and his team going off to get dinner.

"You should go," said Ruby. "You're probably starving."

The team looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders or shaking their heads, while Ruby pulled up her feet and rolled onto bed.

"You should come too," said Blake. "I hear it's chicken today, you love that."

There was no answer. They couldn't even see if Ruby did her trademark lick and drool at the thought of good food.

It wasn't any use, so the three reluctantly headed for the door. Yang was the last one to leave the room, looking back at her sister, still rolled up in a ball, before she left. Between the hood and school uniform, Ruby looked like a bloody pile of clothes just tossed aside.

Yang closed the door, and Ruby sighed. She could picture the rest of the week playing out; a staff meeting where the teachers discuss her future at the Academy, followed by her being dragged up to Ozpin's office. He tells her he made a mistake, tells her to pack up her things. She says goodbye to everyone. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Norra, Blake, Weiss, Yang. She gets her first flight home to Patch, explains to her father what happened, he tells her never to go back in his protective way. Then just like that, everything's normal. The same old classes, the same old chores, the same old life. Boring, ordinary. No more hunting.

As the tears began to soak into the duvet, the door burst open causing her to jump. She stumbled onto the floor, where she had a good upside-down view of the intruder; it was Yang, with just the slightest hint of crimson in her eyes.

"Come on," said Yang. "Get up, sis."

Ruby managed to lift herself off the ground, "Wha-? What's going on?"

"You're coming with me." With that, Yang grabbed a tight hold of Ruby's wrist and started to run back out.


End file.
